Apparatus for applying fountain solution in planographic printing



5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS PAUL W- GREUBEL JAMES K. ELY

ATTORNEYS 1966 P. w. GREUBEL ETAL APPARATUS FOR APPLYING FOUNTAIN SOLUTION IN PLANOGRAPHIC PRINTING Filed March 25, 1964 1966 P. w. GREUBEL. ETAL 3,283,707

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING FOUNTAIN SOLUTION IN PLANOGRAPHIC E RINTING Filed March 25, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS PAUL w. GREUBEL. BY JAMES new ATTORNEYS United States Patent Office 3,283,707 Patented Nov. 8, 1966 3 283 707 APPARATUS FoR APPLiZING FoUNrAIN soLU- TIDN IN PLANOGRAPHIC PRINTING Paul W. Greubel, Short Hills, and James K. Ely, Paramus,

NJ assignors to lnterchernical Corporation, New

York, N.Y., a corporation of Ohio Filed Mar. 25, 1964, Ser. No. 354,592 9 Claims. (Cl. 101-148) This invention relates to novel apparatus used to apply fountain solution to the plate cylinder in lithographic printing. More particularly, this novel apparatus may be most effectively used in the new planographic process described in copending patent application S.N. 141,540, filed September 28, 1961 (Patent No. 3,167,005) disclosure of which is made a part of this disclosure by reference. This new planographic process eliminates the water fountain solution used in lithographic printing, thereby permitting the use of inks other than oil inks, resin-hydrocarbon inks or oleoresinous inks in planographic printing. This process which employs a volatile hydrocarbon fountain solution which when applied to the plate covers the nonirnage areas thereof, uses a planographic plate in which the non-image areas are retentive of the volatile hydro- 7 carbon while the image areas are preferentially wetted by the ink.

In the fountain system of such a planographic process, it is necessary that the dampener rollers or form rollers which cont-act the plate be retentive of the hydrocarbon fountain solution while repelling the inks, particularly the glycol-type inks used in the novel planographic process of Patent No. 3,167,005. As indicated in said copending application, the standard cotton or molleton covered rollers used in the fountain systems of conventional lithographic presses have an aflinity for glycols. Thus, when glycol inks are used in the process of said application with cotton or molleton covered rollers, the dampener or form rollers of the fountain system which are in contact with the plate cylinder pick up the inks and carry them into the fountain system, dirtying the rollers of the system and accordingly prevent the system from depositing a clean layer of fountain solution on the nonimage areas of the plate. In addition, the dampener rollers apply streaks of this picked-up ink into the plate from which the streaks are transferred to the sheets or web being printed on.

It has been found that the hydrocarbon fountain solution may be most effectively applied if the cotton or molleton covered dampener rollers are eliminated and a roller of a resilient material such as glue-glycerin or rubber, especially silicone resin coated rubber rollers of the type described in copending application S.N. 323,103, filed November 12, 1963 (Patent No. 3,225,419) in the names of W. Milton and P. Greubel.

However, due in part to the elimination of the cotton or molleton covered rollers and in part to the nature of the hydrocarbon fountain solution and glycol-type ink in the new planographic process, considerable difiiculties arise in applying a uniform amount of fountain solution to the plate cylinder as well as in continuously applying a suflicient amount of fountain solution to prevent inkingup of nonimage areas.

In the conventional cotton or molleton covered dampener rollers, the covering acts as a reservoir of fountain solution. That is the covering contains absorbed fountain solution and if the fountain distribution system applies inconsistent amounts of fountain solution to the dampener roller at varying points in a press run such as too much or too little fountain solution, the absorbed fountain solution and the absorbing capacity of the cover act as a buffer to insure a uniform application of fountain solution to the plate cylinder. Likewise, if the distribution of applied fountain solution across the dampener roller is not uniform, e.g., as a result of a roller in the fountain distribution system being out of alignment causing a non-uniform nip between such a roller and adjacent rollers, the reserve fountain solution in the dampener roller cover will compensate for the nonuniformities. In addition, when increasing the pickup of fountain solution by increasing the speed of the rollers in the fountain distribution system, it is not necessary to change the nip between the covered dampener roller and its adjacent roller.

When, on the other hand, the cotton or molleton covered rollers must be eliminated, in favor of resilient rollers such as rubber rollers, the aforementioned nonuniformities and inconsistencies in distribution of fountain solution cannot be compensated for by the roller coverings. Likewise when increasing the pickup of fountain solution by increasing the speed of the rollers in the fountain system, it becomes necessary to change the nip between the resilient dampener roller and its adjacent rollers.

In addition, it has been found that the range of proportions wherein hydrocarbon fountain solutions and glycoltype inks will repel each other is much narrower than the range of proportions wherein water fountain solutionoil ink system will repel each other. Consequently, a much more rigorous control of applied fountain solution is necessary when using a hydrocarbon fountain solution.

According, when using resilient uncovered rollers in a system employing a hydrocarbon fountain solution, it is necessary to often adjust the positions of the fountain system rollers, dampener rollers and plate cylinder rollers with respect to each other in order to control the fountain solution applied.

This invention provides novel apparatus for applying fountain solution in which adjustments in the positioning of the dampener rollers, the fountain rollers and the plate cylinder and consequently in the nip between these rollers may be readily made while the planographic press remains in operation. With our apparatus, if a roller falls out of alignment, e.g., where the nip at one end of a roller becomes too great, it is possible to move one end of the roller in realignment without substantially moving the other end of said roller or disrupting the Operation of the printing press run.

In accordance with our invention, there is provided apparatus for applying fountain solution to the surface of the plate cylinder comprising a reservoir for retaining fountain solution, a nonabsorbent fountain roller partially immersed in said fountain solution, a resilient nonabsorbent dampener roller intermediate and in peripheral contact with both the plate cylinder and the fountain roller, means for rotating said plate clyinder, said fountain roller and said dampener roller at the same peripheral speed, means for moving said dampener roller or either end thereof toward or away from said plate cylinder while maintaining the axis of said dampener roller in a single plane and without interrupting the rotation of said cylinder and roller and means for moving said fountain roller or either end thereof toward or away from said dampener roller while maintaining the axis of said fountain roller in a single plane and without interrupting the rotation of said rollers and cylinder, said dampener roller moving means and fountain roller moving means being operable simultaneously.

A specific embodiment of our invention is shown in the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top view of the apparatus of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-section of the apparatus of FIG. 1 along line 22.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic sketch of the gearing system for correlating the nonrotary movement of the fountain roller and dampener roller.

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the gearing system of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a partial cross-section of the apparatus of FIG. 1 along line 5-5.

FIG. 6 is a partial cross-section of the apparatus of FIG. 1 along line 6-6.

FIG. 7 is a partial perspective view of the fountain reservoir showing the baffle arrangement.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 5, plate cylinder 10 is rotatably mounted on the press frame (not shown). Dampener roller 11 is normally in peripheral contact with the plate cylinder and with fountain roller 12 which is immersed in reservoir 13 (see FIG. 6) containing fountain solution. Metering or doctor roller 14 which is normally in peripheral contact with fountain roller 12 removes excess fountain solution picked up by fountain roller 12. The doctor roller may be replaced by any other similar device such as a doctor blade.

Dampener roller 11 is fixed to shaft 15 which is rotatably mounted in bearings 16 and 16' which are supported within frames 17 and 17. Fountain roller 12 is fixed to shaft 18 which is rotatably mounted in bearings 19 and 19 each supported within frames 20 and 20'. Doctor roller 14 is fixed to shaft 21 which is rotatably mounted in bearings 22 and 22' which are slidably mounted in slots 23 and 23' in frames 20 and 20'. Springs 241 and 24 urge bearings 22 and 22 away from fountain roller 12. However, the counter force on bearings 22 and 22 ex erted by screws 25 and 25 which are manually operable may be used to bring doctor roller 14 closer to fountain roller 12. Gear 26 aflixed to the plate cylinder shaft 27 meshes with gear 28 affixed to dampener roller shaft 15 which gear meshes with gear 20 aflixed to fountain roller shaft 18 which gear in turn meshes with gear 30 alfixed to doctor roller shaft 21 so that when plate cylinder shaft 27 is rotated by a driving force (not shown) in the direction indicated in FIG. 2, the dampener, fountain and doctor rollers are each rotated at the same peripheral speed in the directions indicated in FIG. 2.

The means for adjusting the positions of the fountain and dampener rollers with respect to the plate cylinder may be best described first with reference to FIGS. 2 and 5. Frames 17 and 17' are each respectively affixed to bases 31 and 31 which are longitudinally slidable within slots 32 and 32 formed in guide members 33 and 33' aflixed to the body of the press 34. Bases 31 and 31 may be slid backwards and forwards by the longitudinal forces exerted upon arms 35 and 35' respectively aflixed to bases 31 and 31' by screw drivable shafts 36 and 36. Shafts 36 and 36 have external threads 37 and 37 which are received by corresponding internal threads in rotatable bearings 38 and 38. Bearings 38 and 38 have respectively affixed thereto, bevel gears 39 and 39. When bevel gears 39 and 39 are rotated, bearings 38 and 38' are inturn rotated. Since bearings 38 and 38 are fixed so that they cannot move longitudinally, the screw drive is imparted to shafts 36 and 36', that is shafts 36 and 36 not only rotate but also move longitudinally either backwards or forwards depending on the rotation imparted to bevel gears 39 and 39'. Bevel gears 39 and 39' are rotated by meshing bevel gears 40 and 40'. The longitudinal component of the motion of shafts 36 and 36' is imparted to bases 31 and 31 respectively through arms 35 and 35 thereby causing the longitudinal movement of dampener roller 11.

Fountain roller 12 is moved in a similar manner. Frames 20 and 20' are each respectively affixed to bases 41 and 41 which are longitudinally slidable within slots 42 and 42 formed in guide members 43 and 43' affixed to the body of the press. Bases 41 and 41 may he slid backwards and forwards by the longitudinal forces exerted upon arms 44 and 44' respectively aflixed to bases 41 and 41' by screw drivable shafts 45 and 45. Shafts 4-5 and 45 have external threads 46 and 46 which are received by corresponding internal threads in rotatable bearings 47 and 47. Bearings 47 and 47' have respectively affixed thereto, bevel gears 48 and 48'. When bevel gears 48 and 48' are rotated, bearings 47 and 47' are in turn rotated. Since bearings 47 and 47' are fixed so that they cannot move longitudinally, the screw drive is imparted to shafts 45 and 45', that is shafts 45 and 45' not only rotate but also move longitudinally either backwards or forwards depending on the rotation imparted to bevel gears 48 and 48. Bevel gears 48 and 48' are rotated by meshing bevel gears 49 and 49. The longitudinal component of the motion of shafts 45 and 45' is imparted to bases 41 and 41 respectively through arms 44 and 44, thereby causing the longitudinal movement of dampener roller 11.

Thus, it is seen that by the rotation of any selected combination of bevel gears 40, 40, 49 and 49, the dampener roller or either end thereof may be moved towards or away from the plate cylinder separately or together with the movement of the fountain roller or either end thereof towards or away from the dampener roller while the plate cylinder, the dampener roller and the fountain roller are rotating. The doctor roller if present moves simultaneously with the fountain roller during such'longitudinal adjustments.

We shall now describe the arrangement of gearing necessary to produce any selected pattern of movement in the rollers. Attention is directed to FIGS. 1 through 4. Bevel gear 40 is affixed to rotatable shaft 50 and rotates when shaft 50 rotates. The four bevel gears 40, 40', 49 and 49' are attached to shafts in similar arrangements. In the following Table I, there are listed, the shaft, the bevel gear and the end of the particular roller ultimately moved backwards and forwards by the rotation of the shaft. Right and left are determined with respect to FIG. 1, the roll driving gears being on the left side.

TABLE I Shaft Bevel Gear End of Roller Moved Rotated 40 Right end of dampener roller 11.

Left end of dampener roller 11. Right end of fountain roller 12. Left end of fountain roller 12.

Accordingly, it is seen that by moving any combination of shafts 50,59, and 61 simultaneously any combination of longitudinal movements may be achieved in the' dampener and fountain rollers. For example, to move dampener roller backwards or forwards while maintaining said roller parallel to the plate cylinder, shafts 50 and 59 must be simultaneously rotated or to similarly move fountain roller 12, shafts 60 and 61 must be rotated simultaneously. Likewise, if necessary to move only the right ends of the dampener roller and the fountain roller simultaneously, shafts 50 and 60 must be simultaneously rotated. Each of these four shafts has an extending key, such as key 62 on shaft 59 and key 63 on shaft 60, and each of these four shafts may be turned manually while the press is in operation with a crank or similar device which has a hole to receive the key; In order that such turning motion applied to one of the four shafts be transmitted to any combination of the other three shafts, we have a system of gears which may be best seen with reference to FIGS, 1, 3 and 4.

Gears 57 and 58 are mounted on shaft 50, gear 53 on shaft 60, gear 51 on shaft 61, and gear 54 on shaft 59. These gears are slidably mounted on their respective shafts so that they may he slid into and out of engagement with the appropriate associated gear or gears with which they are meshable. In addition, there are three intermediate gears 52, 55 and 56 which are not mounted on any of the above-mentioned shafts but on their own individual shafts. These gears are also slidably mounted on their shafts for engagement and disengagement with appropriate meshing gears for achieving selected combinations of simultaneous movement of the four bevel gear shafts. Gear 52 may be slid into engagement with both gear 51 and gear 53, thus linking the motion of shafts 60 and 61. Gear 55 may likewise engage gears 58 and 54, thus linking shafts 50 and 59. Gear 56 may likewise engage gears 57 and 53, thus linking shafts 50 and 60.

Let us now consider how certain adjustments may be made in the positioning of the dampener and fountain rollers with respect to the plate cylinder.

To move the entire dampener roller closer to the cylinder while the rollers are rotating, gears 58 and 54 are slid into engagement with intermediate gear 55, then a crank is coupled to key 62 of shaft 50 and the shaft is turned. The rotation of the shaft is transmitted to shaft 59 via engaged gears 58, 55 and 54. Bevel gears 40 and 40' are simultaneously turned, thereby turning bevel gears 39 and 39 to screw drive shafts 37 and 37 forward pushing both ends of the dampener closer to the plate cylinder.

Likewise if it is desired to move the fountain roller closer to the dampener roller, gears 53 and 51 are slid into engagement with intermediate gear 52 and either the key on shaft 60 or 61 is turned manually by a crank. If it is desired only to move the right end of the fountain roller, then gear 53 is completely disengaged and shaft 60 is turned manually. If it is desired to move both fountain and dampener rollers simultaneously, then all of the gears should be engaged.

For the sake of simplicity, the gearing arrangement shown is one by which what we have found to be the customary adjustments in the positions of the dampener rollers and fountain rollers may be made. However, it will be obvious to one skilled in the art that by other similar interconnecting gears other combinations of movements of the fountain roller and the dampener roller may be made.

A preferable embodiment of the fountain solution reservoir is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Reservoir 13 contains traverse bafiles 64 having apertures 65 in series in each bafile. The apertures in adjacent baflles are out of alignment with each other. This bafile arrangement results in a minimum of splashing of fountain solution during the operation of the press.

The inking system is not part of this invention and is, therefore, not shown in the drawings. The inking appa ratus is standard with ink being applied to the plate cylinder by ink application rollers 66 which receive ink from an ink fountain by a train of rollers in the conventional manner.

While there have been described what is at present considered to be the preferred embodiments of this invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention, and it is, therefore, aimed to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a lithographic press having a plate cylinder and means for applying ink to said plate cylinder, apparatus for applying fountain solution to the surface of said plate cylinder comprising a reservoir for retaining fountain so- 6 lution, a nonabsorbent fountain roller partially immersed in said fountain solution, a resilient nonabsorbent dampener roller intermediate and normally in peripheral contact with both the plate cylinder and the fountain roller, means for rotating said plate cylinder, fountain roller and dampener roller at the same peripheral speed, the ends of said dampener roller being rotatably mounted in a first pair of slidably mounted bearings so that the dampener roller is substantially parallel to the axis of the plate cylinder, said bearings being slidable in paths perpendicular to the axis of the plate cylinder, means for moving said bearings individually or jointly along said slidable paths to move said ends of the roller towards or away from peripheral contact with said plate cylinder while the roller is rotating within said bearings, a nonabsorbent fountain roller partially immersed in said fountain solution, the ends of said fountain roller being rotatably mounted in a second pair of slidably mounted bearings so that 'the fountain roller is positioned substantially parallel to the dampener roller, said second pair of bearings being slidable in paths perpendicular to the axis of the plate cylinder and means for moving said second pair of bearings individually or jointly along said slidable paths to move said fountain roller ends towards or away from peripheral contact with said dampener roller while the dampener roller is rotating within said bearings, the means for moving said first pair of bearings and the means for moving said second pair of bearings being operable simultaneously.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said roller rotating means comprise means for driving said plate cylinder and gearing transmitting the rotation of the plate cylinder to the dampener roller and fountain roller.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said reservoir contains a plurality of traverse bafiles immersed in said fountain solution, each of said baffles having formed therein a series of apertures, the apertures in each baffle being out of registration with the apertures in adjacent bafiles.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first and said second pairs of slidable bearings are each formed by a frame slidable within a track aifixed to said lithographic press.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 further including a resilient metering roller in peripheral contact with said fountain roller, said metering roller being rotatably mounted in a third pair of bearings which are mounted in the slidable frames of the second pair of bearings.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the means for moving each of said bearings along its slidable path comprises a slidable screw driven shaft connected to the hearing frame in a position substantially perpendicular to the axis of the roller supported on said frame and means for screw driving the shaft whereby the longitudinal motion of the screw driven shaft is transmitted to the bearing frame.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the means for screw driving the shaft comprises a rotatable bearing mounted on the press at fixed position along the longitudinal path of said shaft, said rotatable bearing having an internal screw thread which engages an external screw thread formed on said shaft and means for rotating said rotatable bearing.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the means for rotating said rotatable bearing is a hand rotatable shaft mounted on press perpendicular to the screw driven shaft and a pair of operatively associated bevel gears one afiixed to the hand rotatable shaft and the other afiixed to the rotatable bearing whereby rotation of the hand shaft rotates the bearing.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the hand rotatable shafts have engageable gearing which may be engaged so that the rotation of any one hand shaft may rotate one or more of the other hand shafts.

(References on following page) 7 8 References Cited by the Examiner 2,703,525 3/1955 Stempel 101148 UNITED STATES PATENTS 9 7/10 8 Harless 101180 3 041 967 7/1962 Nystrand 101247 X 10/1934 Brawn 101364 X 8/1938 Goedike 101 147 5 ,096,710 7/1963 wo clechowskl 101148 12/1940 Wittnebel 81-52; FOREIGN PATENTS Z1312 gf gfg 1 915,328 1/1963 Great Britain. 8/1948 Riggs et a1 101216 1/1953 Baumgartner M 101*247 ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Exammer. 3/1954 D611 101 14s J. R. FISHER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A LITHOGRAPHIC PRESS HAVING A PLATE CYLINDER AND MEANS FOR APPLYING INK TO SAID PLATE CYLINDER, APPARATUS FOR APPLYING FOUNTAIN SOLUTION TO THE SURFACE OF SAID PLATE CYLINDER COMPRISING A RESERVOIR FOR RETAINING FOUNTAIN SOLUTION, A NONABSORBENT FOUNTAIN ROLLER PARTIALLY IMMERSED IN SAID FOUNTAIN SOLUTION, A RESILIENT NONABSORBENT DAMPENER ROLLER INTERMEDIATE AND NORMALLY IN PERIPHERAL CONTACT WITH BOTH THE PLATE CYLINDER AND THE FOUNTAIN ROLLER, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID PLATE CYLINDER, FOUNTAIN ROLLER AND DAMPENER ROLLER AT THE SAME PERIPHERAL SPEED, THE ENDS OF SAID DAMPENER ROLLER BEING ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN A FIRST PAIR OF SLIDABLY MOUNTED BEARINGS SO THAT THE DAMPENER ROLLER IS SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF THE PLATE CYLINDER, SAID BEARINGS BEING SLIDABLE IN PATHS PERPENDICULAR TO THE AXIS OF THE PLATE CYLINDER, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID BEARINGS INDIVIDUALLY OR JOINTLY ALONG SAID SLIDABLE PATHS TO MOVE SAID ENDS OF THE ROLLER TOWARDS OR AWAY FROM PERIPHERAL CONTACT WITH SAID PLATE CYLINDER WHILE THE ROLLER IS ROTATING WITHIN SAID BEARINGS, A NONABSORBENT FOUNTAIN ROLLER PARTIALLY IMMERSED IN SAID FOUNTAIN SOLUTION, THE ENDS OF SAID FOUNTAIN ROLLER BEING ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN A SECOND PAIR OF SLIDABLY MOUNTED BEARINGS SO THAT THE FOUNTAIN ROLLER IS POSITIONED SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE DAMPENER ROLLER, SAID SECOND PAIR OF BEARINGS BEING SLIDABLE IN PATHS PERPENDICULAR TO THE AXIS OF THE PLATE CYLINDER AND MEANS FOR MOVING SAID SECOND PAIR OF BEARINGS INDIVIDUALLY OR JOINTLY ALONG SAID SLIDABLE PATHS TO MOVE SAID FOUNTAIN ROLLER ENDS TOWARDS OR AWAY FROM PERIPHERAL CONTACT WITH SAID DAMPENER ROLLER WHILE THE DAMPENER ROLLER IS ROTATING WITHIN SAID BEARINGS, THE MEANS FOR MOVING SAID FIRST PAIR OF BEARINGS AND THE MEANS FOR MOVING SAID SECOND PAIR OF BEARINGS BEING OPERABLE SIMULANEOUSLY. 